Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-01-31
(Con.i.xed from Nednesday. Jan. 26.J
LITTLE TU'PENNY.
By s. Barring GOULD.
CHAPTER XIII.
HOW SHE BECAME AWARE OF IT.

although your husband be rich,
Trip" Dick had said, "stili it's just as
well you should have something OF your
own, and not have TO ask him for every
trife you may need. And, Trip If everl
you want aught, and are shy OF asking|
him, I'm your dad, in velveteen and gait
ers, and I've good wages, and the disposal
of some of the game as a perquisite, and
can put away a pound or two; and You
must ask me at any time should you
want money unbeknown to your grand
husband in broadcloth and silk hats"
Now this five pounds was gone. I'll
had been given to Trip in note, not in
gold. She had not changed it; she had
had no occasion, no opportunity, toI
change it; and one day it was the very
day after her marriage-Mr Beaufort
borrowed it of her.
She did not like at once to remind him
of the money, though he had asked the
loan for ten minutes TO pay for Goals
But, when week passed and nothing
was said of the five pounds, she ventured
timidly to recall it to Alccrnon. He
laughed. my dear Trip, what can you
want money for? 1 pay for everything.
You have no bills, you buy nothing. Ask
me for anything you want, and you shall
have it
81 ask for the five pounds back" she
said with some spirit.
"That, said he putting his hand in his
pocket and drawing forth some silver,
''that is not possible just now; l have
not been to the bank and drawn any
money out. | have only seven and six in
silver, tenpence in copper, and thirty
shillings in gold"
"Thcnlet me have the thirty shillings."
''My precious Trip-what for? 1t will
force me to 90 to-day, which will be most
inconvenicnt, to town, to my bankers.
"Tnen the seven and six on account
''That | want for the baker, who is de-
manding his account. We have had
pound cakes as well as bread, and tea
cake, too"
Then give me the tenpence in cop
pers."
Il must buy some stamps; am run
out of queens heads"
THAT is precisely what I want money
for" said Trip testify Il have neither
paper nor envelopes nor stamps. | have
nothing to do with my time; l want to
write letters"
'Do you?" asked Mr.. Beaufort, with
some sharpness. Have not told you
anywhere for a month? Wait till the
months end and then you may write as
much as you like"
"But why not now"
'Because | will not allow it." He was
angry, and an ugly expression came in
his face which frightened Trip. mind
what | have already said. You disobey
me at your peril"
Then he left the room.
Instead of crushing her with his
threatening words and Tone he had irri-
tated her Trip had been accustomed to
have her own way all her life as far as it
had run, and contrariety was what she
could not endure.
She did not cry; she sat broOding, with
pursed lips and contracted brows, and q
very angry, rebellious light in her eyes.
She sat twirling her diamond ring on her
pretty, delicate finger, the ring worth,
according to Mr. Beaufort, a hundred and
fifty pounds. Had he lied to her about
that ring, as he had lied about the Nor
way journey, and the court in Glouces-
tcrshire, and the house in Piccadilly?
She would like to know. She would be
guided by this. This was a matter in
which She could satisfy herself; and, Of
course, there was still just a possibility
that he was really prevented from cross
ing to Norway as proposed, that he had
some property in Worcestershire, and a
house undergoing repairs in Piccadilly.
So she resolved to put this matter to
test, a crucial test, and act according as
it gave reply. If Mr.. Beaufort had been
false in this, he was false in everything.
She would write to her father, tell him
everything, and beg him to come to Lon
don and come to an explanation with her
husband.
She was then without any shoes on her
feet; she supposed they were below in the
back kitchen. The maid, Nelly, had not
brought them up, and she had taken them
down overnight or early in the morning
to clean.
So, in her stocking soles, she stole to
the head of the kitchen stairs, not to call
the sulky Nelly, but to fetch them for
herself
She heard ger husband and the servant
talking together in a low voice in the
kitchen; this angered her. Her little
shell of n left ear was burning. They
We're talking about her. He had been
so unfair to her that she excused
herself for being underhand with him.
She crcpt to the bottom of the stone steps
to listen.
Il say you're fool, said the maid.
"Whatcver can have possessed you to
bring this wax doll into the house to ruin
us all?"
81 could not help myself, she is so con-
foundedIy pretty. She bcwildered me,
and her mother threw her at my head"
"You are old enough to know BETTER
growlcd Nelly. "If twas yourself alone
were endangered you might go the whole
way and be welcome; but it's the lot of
us, as you know well enough
Nonsense Nelly said Mr. Beaufort,
she's such fool she can do no hurt
"She's not such II fool as you suppose
remarked the woman, land may play us
an ugly trick yet"
"She must not leave the house"
"I've taken care of that, said Nelly;
"Tve took away her boots, and she'll
scarce go abroad in her slippers. Still,
that is neither here nor there; what l say
is that you have run us all into great
risk by bringing her here"
"Well, well, Nelly, it amt for long"
"No, it is not for long; but it may be
! just too long for our interests"
Then Trip heard her husbands step,
as though he were coming TO the stairs,
anu Slc SboIc DdCh It's size lltit ttSCpUueu.
What was the meaning of this
To come to some understanding, she
asked for her boots. The woman said she
was sorry, she had put one pair TO dry
over the kitchen range, and the fire had
been too hot, it had burned them The
soles had warped and curled so that the
threads were torn, and the top leather
had parted from them.
"Where is the other pair?''
Nllp rats have eaten holes in than,